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A China Coast Guard ship (R) sailing past a Philippine fishing boat with volunteers from the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition on board, in the disputed South China Sea on May 16, 2024. A Philippine boat convoy bearing supplies for Filipino fishers said they were headed back to port May 16, ditching plans to sail to a Beijing-held reef off the Southeast Asian country after one of their boats was "constantly shadowed" by a Chinese vessel.
AFP / Ted Aljibe
MANILA, Philippines — The United States State Department has called on China to comply with the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims over parts of the South China Sea.
The State Department issued the statement on Sunday, July 13, in commemoration of the ninth anniversary of the July 12, 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines, describing the decision as a “useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes” among parties in the South China Sea.
It also criticized China for its “expansive claims,” which it said “directly infringe on the sovereign rights and jurisdictions” of the Philippines and other ASEAN countries.
“Since the 2016 ruling, China has ignored the decision, continuing to assert unlawful and expansive maritime claims and taking increasingly aggressive actions against its neighbors,” the State Department said.
“The United States calls on China to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling and to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct,” it added.
The State Department also reaffirmed US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“We seek to preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of navigation and overflight, maintain the free flow of trade, and oppose coercion to settle maritime disputes,” the statement read.
On Saturday, several foreign embassies also expressed support for the arbitral ruling and urged China to abide by its terms.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled on July 12, 2016, that China's "nine-dash line" claims had no legal basis under international law — a decision Beijing has continued to disregard.
The ruling also upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone.
